Embracing Play
By Lara Aldridge – Junior Primary Coordinator
Students bring to school a wide range of experiences, abilities, needs and interests. They have a natural curiosity about their world. Their desire to make sense of the world provides a platform to plan and review their learning through interactions with others, experimentation, scaffolding, explicit teaching, practice and play in the classroom and beyond. 1
As a CEN school, we embrace the biblical thread of Relishing Play, where we believe play is an essential part of school life and something God wants us to relish at every opportunity!2
Play-based learning: the pedagogical approach in Junior Primary
We believe that children are created in God’s image, unique with their own gifts and strengths (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:14). God wants them to grow and develop into the people he has created them to be (Ephesians 2:10) and as teachers it is our responsibility to give children the best opportunities to do this.
The pedagogical approach used in the Junior Primary years is underpinned by the teachers’ understanding of developmentally appropriate practice. Our Junior Primary teachers know that young children are concrete learners who need room to move and explore as they make connections in their learning, build on prior knowledge, and have opportunities to practice what they have learnt in a variety of contexts.
Play-based learning is valued as a regular part of our curriculum in the Junior Primary Years and children are provided with a balance of teacher-led, rich, intentional, and explicit learning experiences as well as child-initiated, playful learning experiences.
“Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, creative, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children.”
Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, creative, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. A play-based pedagogy offers a large range of benefits for children in the early years and is considered developmentally appropriate practice for children up to the age of eight.
A play-based pedagogy in the Junior Primary makes learning more meaningful and engaging for our students and helps to provide a smooth transition as children move from Kindy to school. Integrating key learning areas provides opportunities for children to make meaningful connections in their learning and build on prior knowledge and experiences.
Play-based learning uses children’s natural motivation to play as a context for learning and provides opportunities for children to:
- Explore and enjoy God’s creation
- Think creatively and critically
- Practice and develop language skills
- Practice and develop social skills such as turn-taking, cooperation, and negotiation
- Move and be active
- Experiment, take risks and try new things in a safe environment
- Develop resilience, be persistent and solve problems
As we continue to embrace the power of play-based learning in our Junior Primary curriculum, we are dedicated to nurturing the holistic development of each child, fostering a love for learning that extends far beyond the classroom walls.
